Wales' hopes of finishing in the top three of Group A4 took a major blow on Tuesday as Norway beat Craig Bellamy's side 3-1 in Oslo in a UEFA Nations League match.
The result leaves Wales bottom of Group A4 and means they are now facing a possible Nations League relegation play-off in March unless they change their position with the result against Portugal already set for next month's decisive stage. Wales had been aiming to stay high enough in the group to reach pot one for next month's Euros draw in Belfast, but that route now looks far more difficult.
A game that changed after half-time
Before the break, Wales actually looked the better side in Oslo and had chances to take the lead, most notably through Daniel James on three occasions. But after half-time, Norway found the decisive moments.
Antonio Nusa opened the scoring, before Andreas Schjelderup tapped home Erling Haaland's pass for Norway's second goal. Wales pulled one back through David Brooks, who finished with a chip, but Haaland then sealed the result from the penalty spot after Connor Roberts pushed Schjelderup down in the box.
It was a frustrating ending for Wales, who had been competitive for long spells but could not turn that into points. Bellamy said he wanted Wales to be in pot one and insisted he still saw enough in parts of the performance to believe that level is possible. He said there were plenty of good moments, but also admitted that Wales lost momentum and energy after the break.
What Bellamy took from the defeat
Bellamy's assessment was cautious rather than defeatist. He said Wales wanted to be in pot one, adding that he could see in large parts of the match that they can be there. He also said there was a lot to improve on, but that he liked a lot of what he saw, especially in the first half when Wales pressed well and used the ball effectively when they won it back.
The bigger issue is the table. Wales needed a stronger result in Oslo to keep control of their own path, and the 3-1 loss now leaves them with little margin for error. On Tuesday they face Portugal, and if that match ends in a draw, Wales could be sent into a Nations League relegation play-off against a League B runner-up in March.
That is a sharp change in outlook for a side that had hoped to finish among the top three in Group A4 and keep their broader tournament ambitions on track. With Euro 2028 ahead and Wales set to co-host alongside England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, Bellamy's team still has bigger goals in view. For now, though, the immediate priority is simple: avoid a further slide in the Nations League.
